Lance Rockholt
An arrest has been made in the Walker County road rage case in which Mark Pickett was gunned down in front of two of his children.
Lance Coleman Rockholt of 155 Summit Dr., Ringgold, has been charged in the case.
Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said Rockholt is the same man who was at a Lakeview apartment when it exploded and caught on fire in 2001, severely burning Shelton Hicks. The child later died. Rockholt faced only drug charges in that case.
Rockholt was in Hamilton County General Sessions Court on Wednesday morning for an extradition hearing. He waived extradition and was taken to the Walker County Jail. He is expected to appear in court in LaFayette on Thursday afternoon.
Sheriff Wilson said at an 11:30 a.m. press conference that a tip from an informant led to Rockholt's arrest. He said the tip was received Tuesday afternoon, and Rockholt was taken by Chattanooga officers to the Police Services Center. He was charged with murder later in the night.
Asked if Rockholt had talked about the incident and that led to the tip, Sheriff Wilson said, "That's a good theory."
He said Rockholt gave "a limited statement" about the fatal shooting to officers.
Sheriff Wilson said Rockholt's girlfriend was in the car at the time of the incident. He said she is being treated as a "witness" and will not face charges. He declined to give her name.
The incident happened late on Oct. 28 at High Point on Highway 193 just south of Pace's Grocery.
The sheriff said Rockholt was driving a 1994 green Saturn. The sheriff noted that it was reported the vehicle was a red Ford Taurus or Contour. He said that vehicle may also have been involved in a clash with Mr. Pickett that night, starting near Ridgeland High School on Highway 2A.
He said Rockholt was traveling on Highway 193 going south on his way to visit someone.
The sheriff said the Ford may have pulled off and Rockholt then fell in behind the Pickett truck.
He said Rockholt was apparently tailgating and the victim would not let him pass. He said Mark Pickett may have also been brake checking him on the narrow, winding road.
He said the Rockholt vehicle apparently fell in behind the Pickett vehicle near Happy Valley Road.
He said the victim finally stopped in the middle of the road, got out and walked back toward the Rockholt vehicle. He was shot several times with a .22-caliber handgun.
Sheriff Wilson said a .22-caliber handgun was confiscated from Rockholt. He said it is being tested by the Georgia Crime Lab at Summerville to see if the .22-caliber shell casings found at the scene match the handgun.
The 39-year-old victim lived at Cloudland, Ga.
Sheriff Wilson said Joy Pickett, the victim's widow, had been notified of the arrest and was relieved that a suspect was in custody.
He said the arrest involved "some good police work and some lady luck." He said it came on the 11th day - noting that the trail grows colder in such cases as time passes.
He said there is no evidence the two men knew each other. He called it "a very random, senseless crime."